Gary Prisendorf, Sierra Bullets Ballistic Technologist, June 21st 2023Sometimes someone will ask “Why did I receive a flyer which was not with the rest in my group?” If I knew the answer to stop flyers, I’d be rich. There are many reasons for this. The list is endless, from variations in brass casings to gripping a weapon differently. The flyer is often a result of the shooter and what you think is a “flyer” is actually part of your group. Many shooters will test a load at 100 yards, and if they get a 3/8″group, they think the load is good. I have seen it far too often that you can shoot a group, same load and same rifle, and the next time, you may get a 1-1/4″ group. The opposite can also happen. You can shoot a 1 3/4 ” group, then turn around and shoot a 1/2 ” group. You can shoot a 1 1/4″ group and then turn around and shoot a 1/2?group without changing anything. I suggest shooting at least three 5-shot groups, and averaging them before deciding whether the load is acceptable. The more groups you shoot and the more rounds per group you shoot, the better you’ll be able to judge the performance of your load. I don’t mean that you should shoot 30 groups each with 50 rounds. It would be a waste of time, and in some cases you may need to rebarrel the rifle before your load development is complete.
Similar Posts:Tags: Flyers, Group Size, Load Development, Sierra Bullets
